Homemade Strawberry Bread – Simple, Moist, and Delicious
Homemade strawberry bread is a moist, tender quick bread filled with juicy berries in every slice. It’s an easy choice for breakfast, brunch, an afternoon snack, or dessert. Whether you’re baking with fresh strawberries or frozen berries from your freezer, this simple loaf is packed with sweet strawberry flavor.

This recipe comes from Eat & Explore North Carolina: Cookbook & Travel Guide by Christy Campbell, a collection of regional dishes that celebrate the flavors of the Carolinas. It’s a dependable recipe that has earned a permanent place in my kitchen.
Why You’ll Love This Strawberry Bread
- Versatile treat. Enjoy it as breakfast, snack, or dessert, with or without a pat of butter or cream cheese.
- Year-round appeal. Works with fresh or frozen strawberries, so you can bake it in summer or the middle of winter.
- Simple ingredients. Pantry staples come together in minutes—no mixer required.

Ingredients
For this sweet bread recipe, you need the following ingredients:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 eggs beaten
- 1 ½ cups vegetable oil
- 2 ½ cups fresh strawberries
- cinnamon sugar for dusting on top

How To Make Strawberry Bread
- Before you get started, chop fresh, juicy strawberries very finely. If you don’t have fresh strawberries, you can use frozen strawberries that have been thawed.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch loaf pans. (I like to spray non-stick cooking spray on the sides and bottom of the pans.)
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, soda, salt, and cinnamon. In a medium bowl, stir together the eggs, vegetable oil, and strawberries.

- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the strawberry mixture to the flour mixture and stir until smooth. Spoon into prepared loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour.

- Once the bread is done baking, remove it from the oven and let it cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Once that time is up, remove it from the pan and let it cool completely on a rack.

Serving Suggestions
This strawberry bread is delicious served slightly warm with butter, cream cheese, or a drizzle of honey. It also pairs wonderfully with a hot cup of coffee or tea and makes a lovely addition to a weekend brunch alongside fresh fruit and yogurt.
Strawberry Bread Variations
Once you’ve mastered the basic recipe, it’s easy to customize.
- Cream Cheese Strawberry Bread: Spoon half of the batter into the loaf pan, add dollops of sweetened cream cheese, then top with the remaining batter and gently swirl with a knife.
- Strawberry Lemon Bread: Stir a teaspoon of fresh lemon zest into the batter and drizzle the cooled loaf with a simple lemon glaze.
- Strawberry Nut Bread: Fold in ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts for added crunch.
- Strawberry White Chocolate Bread: Add ½ cup white chocolate chips for an extra-special treat.
Got strawberries? We’ve got plenty of ways to put them to delicious use. Treat yourself to a creamy Strawberry Cream Cheese Pudding Pie that’s as easy as it is elegant or Fresh Strawberry Pie that will remind you of Shoney’s famous strawberry pie, bake a batch of Homemade Strawberry Muffins for breakfast on the go, or celebrate with a Strawberry Cake that’s beautifully dense yet melt-in-your-mouth moist, delivering full strawberry flavor in every bite.

Strawberry Bread
Ingredients
Method
- Combine flour, sugar, soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, stir together remaining ingredients.
- Make a well in center of the dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and stir until smooth. Spoon into 2 greased and floured 9-inch loaf pans.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
Nutrition
Video
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Tips for Baking the Best Strawberry Bread
- Fresh Strawberries: Choose ripe, bright red strawberries that are firm and fragrant (smells sweet). Wash and dry the berries well before dicing them. Extra moisture can affect the texture of the bread.
- Frozen strawberries: Thaw and drain well, then chop finely.
- Sweetness: For a lighter loaf, reduce sugar slightly or use a mix of white and brown sugar.
- Add-ins: Fold in a handful of chopped nuts or white chocolate chips for extra texture.
- Storage: Wrap cooled loaves in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container for 3–4 days at room temperature. For longer storage, freeze slices in freezer bags for up to 3 months.
Fresh vs. Frozen Strawberries
Fresh strawberries are my first choice because they provide the best texture and flavor. However, frozen strawberries can also be used when fresh berries aren’t in season.
If you’re using frozen strawberries, thaw them first, drain away any excess liquid, and gently pat them dry with paper towels. This helps prevent the batter from becoming too wet.

My Personal Tip
One thing I like to do when I make Strawberry Bread is to sprinkle my loaf pans with a cinnamon-sugar mixture after the pans have been greased. I also like to sprinkle the mixture on top of the batter before I put the loaves in the oven to bake. It adds a little extra sweetness and is the perfect finishing touch.
FAQs
Yes, you can use frozen strawberries for this recipe. Just make sure to thaw them and chop them very finely before adding them to the batter.
Yes, you can make this recipe in a different-sized pan. Just keep in mind that the baking time may need to be adjusted depending on the size of the pan. For example, if you use an 8-inch loaf pan, you may need to reduce the baking time by about 10 minutes.
Yes! This batter works beautifully as muffins.
Divide the batter evenly among a lined muffin tin, filling each cup about two-thirds full. Bake at the same temperature as the loaf, but begin checking for doneness after 18 to 22 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean.
This usually happens if the bread is underbaked, the batter is overmixed, or there is too much moisture from the strawberries. Be sure to measure ingredients carefully and bake until a toothpick comes out clean.
Yes. Wrap it well and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw before serving.
About Eat & Explore North Carolina
Eat & Explore North Carolina (Great American Publishers, 2016) combines beloved Southern recipes with fun, bite-size travel facts from across the Tar Heel State. As you flip through its pages, you’ll learn gems like where Mt. Olive Pickles are made while gathering fresh kitchen inspiration.

The cookbook is organized into easy-to-browse chapters – Beverages & Appetizers, Bread & Breakfast, Soups & Salads, Vegetables & Sides, Meat & Seafood, Desserts & Sweets, plus handy indexes of recipes and destinations. Tempting highlights include Southwest Banana Pepper Dip, Fried Green Olives, Chocolate Pecan Pie, Fresh Apple Cake, Hoisin-Glazed Short Ribs, and Sorghum-Glazed Carrots.
Along the way, you’ll also discover North Carolina festivals and events such as Tour De Food, the Poultry Jubilee, and the Cotton Festival.
Perfect for anyone who loves classic Southern cooking, cheers for the Tar Heels, or plans to visit North Carolina, this book makes a thoughtful gift. Find it at local bookstores, Great American Publishers, and at Amazon.com.
Last Bite
Have you made this strawberry bread? I’d love to hear how it turned out! Leave a comment below and let me know if you used fresh or frozen strawberries. If you’re looking for more fruity baking ideas, be sure to check out my other quick bread and strawberry recipes.

I make this often for my friends and they always rave about how good it is.
That makes me so happy to hear!
Hi Lynda!
My Mom & I went to Crossing Brook Farms here in Fluvanna County.Picked fresh strawberries,it was SO MUCH FUN! We were looking for a recipe for strawberry bread & came across this one.Made it & it turned out great! We doubled the recipe & made small & medium loaves & Bundt muffins! Shared with family & friends,they loved it! It was DELICIOUS,SO FRESH & SUPER MOIST,best ever! We cleaned the mixing bowl,it didn’t have to be washed,HA-HA! Soon as we took it out the oven we got into 1 & ate the whole thing! It smelled SO GOOD all through the house! That was a nice TREAT,you MADE OUR DAY & everyone else’s too! We’ll definitely be making it again & think of you! You’re the BEST! Thanks SO MUCH for sharing this SUPER GREAT recipe! That’s a great picture of you & your husband,perfect match! Have a great day!
Love,
Kathy & Mom
Campbell 🍰🍰
Troy,VA
4-29-26
Hi Kathy & Mom,
What a way to make my day. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with this recipe. I am so glad that you all loved it.
YOU are the best!
Lynda
do you use self-rising flour or all-purpose flour
All-purpose flour. The leavening agent (the stuff that makes it rise) in the recipe is baking soda.
Super easy and delicious